A Secret Storm
by madeleine68
Summary: Olivia is caught in a secret storm. Can Elliot and Alex help her before it's too late? Review for more!
1. Chapter 1

"Hey, Liv," Elliot greeted his partner as she hurried into the precinct half an hour late.

Olivia jumped and spilled her coffee all over herself. "Shit, Elliot!"

He rolled his eyes. "Hello to you, too."

Captain Cragen stepped out of his office. "Olivia, my office. Now."

"I really don't need this right now," she muttered, attempting to mop up her shirt with a napkin but obediently following her captain into his office.

"Sit," he invited her.

She folded her arms just to be adversarial. "I'd rather stand."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"What's this about, Captain?"

"You've been distracted and irritable lately. What's up?"

"I'm fine, Captain," said Olivia, adjusting her large sunglasses over her eyes.

"Don't give me that, Olivia. You haven't been yourself."

"Captain –"

"Olivia, why are you wearing your sunglasses inside?"

"Leave me alone!" she snapped.

"Olivia, I want you to go home and take some time off. When was the last time you had a good night's sleep?"

Her eyes widened in fear. "No. No. I'm fine. Elliot needs me."

"Elliot doesn't need you if all you're going to do is get on his case."

"Don't send me home. I can do better," she pleaded, torn between her self-preservation and her pride.

The captain sighed. "Fine. Go. But don't make me have this discussion with you again."

Olivia bowed her head, trying not to show her relief. "Thank you, sir."

She strode back to Elliot.

"Liv, we got the guy who murdered Anna Jones," he informed her. "It was the husband. You were right."

"Let me go in, El," she said, a fire igniting in her out of pure disgust for this man who abused his wife for years, finally causing her death. "I can handle it."

Elliot nodded. "The floor is yours."

She entered the interrogation room where a man with sandy brown hair and a casual smile was sitting. He didn't _look _like a killer, but then, looks could be deceiving. She sat down on a chair across from him.

"So, Jordan. Tell me about Anna."

He laughed in her face. "She was beautiful, but not as drop-dead gorgeous as you. She was good in bed, though. That made up for it."

Olivia wasn't here to play games. "Tell me how you killed her."

He smirked. "I didn't kill her."

"Then who did?"

"I don't know. Honestly, I don't give a shit. The bitch got what she had coming to her."

"How so?"

"Well, she wasn't a very good wife."

"You mean, she didn't submit to your every command."

He sneered. "That, too."

"Let's see, Jordan. You beat the crap out of her for ten years. Now she's dead and she's covered in bruises similar to the ones you'd been doling out for as long as you've known her. And you're telling me you didn't do it. Do you take me for a fool?"

"Guess not. So let's see. That makes you smart and pretty," said Jordan, unruffled yet amused.

"You're trying to hit on me."

"Is it working?"

"No," Olivia snapped.

He considered. "I guess you're too feisty for my liking anyway. I'd have to tone you down. Too much work. I'll bet you're just a pain in your boyfriend's ass. Can't have a husband – no one could tolerate you that long. Or maybe you are a good girlfriend, submissive as the best of them, and it's just me you hate. Is that right? Oh, wait. Let me guess. That partner of yours, Elliot or whatever his name is. Is he your boyfriend? Does he like you feisty or does he tone you down? Because if you were mine, I'd give you a good smack or two. I'd sure show you who's boss. I –"

He didn't get to finish his sentence because Olivia was on top of him, kicking him, screaming, "You rotten bastard! Don't you talk about Elliot that way! You killed Anna! You –"

"Olivia!"

Captain Cragen burst into the room and pulled Olivia off the suspect. She recoiled at his touch. "Let me go!"

The captain half-dragged Olivia out of the room. While she was struggling, her sunglasses fell from her face. Captain Cragen noticed her swelling black eye. He let go of her and stepped back. "Olivia, what happened to your eye?"

"Nothing." She rubbed her shoulder where he'd grasped it. "Walked into a wall." She turned and started to walk away.

Cragen reached out and grabbed Olivia's arm. "Don't you dare walk away from me!"

She cringed and cried out involuntarily, then pulled away. She yanked her arm free. "Don't touch me," she growled.

"Olivia," said the captain surprised. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

She sighed and checked her watch. "Captain, I'm sorry. Look, I have to go. I was supposed to be home an hour ago."

"The boyfriend misses you?" he said, unable to keep the disdain out of his voice.

"Yeah. Look, can we do this tomorrow?"

"Go home, Olivia. Come back when you're feeling better. You're on leave until then."

Olivia looked at the ground. She'd had her chance and she'd blown it. It was all on her now.


	2. Chapter 2

"You slut," growled Dustin as Olivia walked in the door. "I told you to be home an hour and a half ago. Were you screwing your partner or something?"

Olivia swallowed and looked at the ground. "The case ran late."

"I totally believe that. You're just a lying whore who's screwing Elliot on the side. I'm gonna teach you a lesson you'll never forget!"

He reached out and smacked her across the face so hard that she stepped back, clutching her cheek. She wasn't going to cry out this time; she would be strong and not show how he was getting to her.

But as the unrelenting blows rained down on Olivia, she couldn't help but cry out. She curled up into a ball, sobbing, covering her head with her hands. "Please," she whispered.

"Please what?"

"Please stop. Sir. Please." begged Olivia, her dignity completely gone. All she cared about was surviving the night.

"Well . . ." He gave her a malevolent grin. "Since you asked so nicely . . . maybe you can show me how much you love me instead. Would that be better?"

"Please, not tonight," pleaded Olivia, but he aimed another kick in her direction to silence her.

"Move, bitch."

He dragged her to their room and started tearing off her clothes, hungrily caressing her bare skin.

She cringed as he ran his hand all over her exposed skin. She tried to get up, but he pushed her roughly back down. Olivia began to struggle as Dustin started to unbuckle his own pants. She was trying as hard as she could to get away from him, but she wasn't strong enough. He lifted her up as if she was nothing but a rag droll and threw her on the bed. Holding her down with one hand, he cuffed her to the bedposts.

Olivia began to cry silently. She couldn't be strong anymore. Five months of this had weakened Olivia, physically and emotionally.

In the beginning, it had been good. Better than good, in fact. Dustin had been the perfect man for three months, intelligent, handsome, funny, kind. He made her feel so good about herself. It wasn't about sex; it was about true love. Sex was just an added bonus.

But after they moved in together, things got bad. The first time he hit her, Olivia had come home an hour late. She'd been interrogating a suspect and it took an extra hour to get a confession. Even though Dustin had told her to be home by eight, she didn't get there until nine. She had walked in and apologized for being late, but Dustin had slapped her across the face. "Whore!" he screamed. "Where have you been? Screwing Elliot?"

"Of course not!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing? What's wrong?"

"You bitch!" And then he'd hit her again.

She'd tried to reason with him, but to no avail. He just kept hitting her.

He'd apologized the next day and even though Olivia should have known better, she'd stayed.

And now it was too late.

Dustin raped her. She went somewhere else in her mind, somewhere where there was no pain, where Dustin couldn't hurt her. She couldn't escape physically, but mentally, she could. She was chained to the bed, helpless and humiliated. She was one of the victims she spent every day helping.

He left her chained to the bed in pain and agony. He slept beside her, his soft snoring making Olivia cringe each time. All night, she lay awake and conscious, her broken body throbbing. She wished she would just lose consciousness, to end the pain, but Dustin was too smart for that. He wanted her to suffer.

* * *

The next morning, Dustin awoke at eight and left for work. He left Olivia still chained to the bed.

She knew she had to escape. She couldn't stay chained to this bed all day. She tried to break free of the chains, but they only bit further into her wrists and ankles. She pulled every which way, but it didn't help. Now her wrists and arms were killing her, too.

Then something occurred to her. The key. It had to be here somewhere. Maybe in the pocket of the jeans he'd been wearing yesterday. She reached out her hand, the cuffs tearing into her wrists. She rummaged through the pockets and located the key. She breathed a sigh of relief and unlocked the cuffs.

There were bloody red marks all over her wrists and ankles, but she felt so free that she began to sob in relief. She put her head in her hands. What was she going to do now?

Captain Cragen didn't want her back at the station. She couldn't call Elliot – it would be too embarrassing to admit what she had let happen. She couldn't call Alex – Alex would be duty-bound to prosecute Dustin. And if Dustin found out she'd told anyone, he would kill her! He always said that he would, and then he'd kill Elliot and Alex too, and she believed him. She knew he'd do it. She'd seen it so many times before – an abusive man who kills his girlfriend and whoever she told. She couldn't let that happen to Alex and Elliot, her two best friends – her two _only _friends – in the world.

So Olivia ran herself a shower, trying to wash away the evidence of her weakness.


	3. Chapter 3

Olivia's phone rang and she picked up, wincing in pain and praying to God it wasn't Elliot. "Hello?"

Her prayers were in vain. "Where the hell are you, Liv?"

She sighed. "Cragen didn't want me to come. He wanted me to take some time off."

"What is going _on_, Liv?"

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"You know what? I'm coming over. I'm bringing Alex, too. She's worried about you."

"No!" screeched Olivia. "You can't!"

"Why?" asked Elliot mockingly. "Because that boyfriend of yours won't like it?"

"No, no. He's not home."

"Good. We'll be there in ten."

"No, please –" But Elliot had already hung up.

Olivia tried to make herself presentable. She put on an oversized sweatshirt that covered her wrists. Wincing as the material touched her battered body, she put on jeans and brushed her hair into a messy ponytail. She didn't want her friends to see her like this. She couldn't let them see her pain. They would try to help her but help wasn't what she wanted. Not from them. They couldn't. She needed to protect herself, but she couldn't involve her friends.

She tried to clean up the apartment, knowing that Elliot, with his detective's eye, would notice spatters of blood or signs of a struggle.

The doorbell rang. Olivia sighed and unlocked the door. She tried to smile. "Hi."

"Olivia, you look awful," said Alex bluntly. "What happened?"

Olivia smiled weakly. Alex never beat around the bush. "Nothing."

"Your eye, Liv. Your face. Don't feed me that crap," said Elliot. They stepped inside the apartment.

"If you only came here to give me shit, feel free to leave at any time," she snapped.

Alex sat down on the couch across from her friend. "We're worried about you, Olivia."

Olivia turned on the lights and as she did so, her sleeve rode slightly up her arm.

Alex gasped. "Liv, what's that?"

Olivia looked up sharply. "What?"

"Don't play games," said Elliot. "On your wrist."

"Nothing."

"Did Dustin do that?" asked Alex.

"No!" exclaimed Olivia. She tried to calm down. "No. Dustin would never hurt me."

Alex got up and sat down next to her friend. She put her hand on top of Olivia's shaking ones. "Olivia, I need you tell me what happened."

Olivia cringed and pulled away. "I'm not one of your victims, Alex!"

"Are you sure about that?"

She stood up. "Get out!"

"Liv," said Elliot. "We want to help you –"

"No! Dustin will be home and he'll be angry and – just leave!"

"Olivia," said Alex firmly, taking hold of her arm. Olivia flinched. "Sit down. We're not going anywhere. I want you to tell me what Dustin did to you."

Olivia burst into tears. Elliot and Alex looked at each other in surprise. Neither of them had ever seen their tough Olivia cry before. What had this man done to her? He had turned strong Olivia into something so vulnerable that she couldn't even confide in her friends.

Elliot crossed over to sit down next to her and put an arm around Olivia. He felt the tension in her trembling body. She cringed.

"Liv, honey, tell me what happened," whispered Elliot, stroking her hair.

"I – I can't," Olivia choked out.

"He won't hurt you, Liv," Alex assured her. "We won't let him. But you have to tell us."

Then they heard a key turning in the lock and a rough voice barking, "Olivia!"


	4. Chapter 4

Olivia balked and extricated herself from Elliot's grasp. "You have to leave! Now."

"We're not going anywhere," said Alex.

"You have to! Please," she whispered in desperation.

"Liv, we won't –"

Dustin stepped into the room. "Olivia! What are _they_ doing here?"

Olivia looked at the ground, her eyes wide with fear. "I'm sorry, Dustin. I didn't –"

Alex put her arm protectively around Olivia. "We're her friends. We'll come see her whenever we please."

"Oh. You're the lawyer, aren't you? Alexandra."

"Alex," she snapped. "And you're the bastard who beat the crap out of my friend."

"Is that what you told her?" he shot at Olivia.

"I didn't tell them anything," she whispered.

He walked over to her and yanked her from Alex's grasp. "Out!" he ordered Elliot and Alex.

"We're not going anywhere," said Alex.

"I want you to get off my property."

"And I want to cut off your balls and stick them in a blender, but ain't life a bitch," she snapped back.

"I'm going to call the police," he threatened.

"We _are _the police," replied Elliot. "And so is Liv, in case you forgot."

Dustin reached into his back pocket and pulled something out that made Olivia scream in terror. "Don't!"

It was a pistol. He pointed it right at Olivia. Then he turned to her friends. "You're going to get out of my house right now or, so help me, I will shoot Olivia."

Alex and Elliot weighed their options. They didn't doubt that he would shoot their friend, right here in front of them, but if they left, he might shoot her anyway. Elliot cursed himself. How could he could he have been stupid enough to show up unarmed? He couldn't even arrest this bastard because he was off duty.

"Don't touch her," said Elliot softly.

Dustin smirked. "Then get the hell out of my house."

Alex and Elliot looked at each other and then at Olivia, trembling in fear. They knew without a weapon, they couldn't overpower this man and they couldn't afford to gamble with Olivia's life. Alex was a lawyer, not a police officer, and her physical strength could never take down this man.

They turned around. Elliot started for the door. He figured Alex was following him, but without any warning, she jumped on top of Dustin.

"Alex, no!" screamed Elliot, terrified that Dustin would shoot them both.

Alex, though, knew what she was doing. With strength she didn't know she had, she pushed Olivia out of harm's way and wrestled the gun away from Dustin. She held him down, pressing his face into the cold floor. "You son of a bitch," she spat, tossing the gun to Elliot.

He tried to elbow her but she had him in a tight hold.

Elliot knelt down next to Dustin. "Dustin Jones, you are under arrest for assault in the first degree and attempted murder of a police officer. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you." He cuffed Dustin and dragged him downstairs to the police car, pointing the gun at him.

"I'm staying with Liv," Alex called after him.

"Sure. I'll keep this bastard in lockup. See you in an hour or so."

Alex sat down on the couch next to Olivia, who was trembling violently. She put her hand on Olivia's shaking ones. "Liv, what happened?"

"I can't tell you," whispered Olivia. "But – but I can show you." She lifted her shirt to reveal a series of black and blue bruises on her back and a yellowing one on her stomach.

She heard Alex's sharp intake of breath. "That son of a bitch did that to you?"

Olivia nodded. "I tried – but I couldn't – oh, Alex, I was just so scared! He said he'd kill you and Elliot. I couldn't let that happen. I let him hit me. I let him touch me. I – I let him rape me." Silent tears streamed down her face. "God, I'm a police officer! I should have known better. I should have fought him off. I should have done something. I should have –"

Alex cut her off. "It's not your fault, Olivia."

She shook her head. "But it is. How can I help rape victims if I'm a victim myself? I', so weak!"

"You're not weak. You're strong, Olivia. You survived."

"Don't you tell me that, Alex! I made a mistake. I should have left him. God, isn't that what we always tell the girlfriends who stay on? And I couldn't understand until now why they didn't get up and go. But it's so hard! I'm one of them now."

"Liv, this isn't your fault. We're going to get him. He's going to be in jail for a very long time."

"Promise?"

"I'll nail his ass to a wall for you, Liv. I just hope Elliot's doing okay. He's probably beaten the crap out of the guy by now, for hurting his precious Olivia."

She shuddered. "I just want him out of my life. He took something from me. Will I ever get it back?"

"Yes, Olivia, you will. You're strong. You're going to be just fine. We're your friends and we'll help you through this."

"Alex?"

"Yes?"

Olivia sighed. "Thanks."

Alex squeezed Olivia's hand. "That's what friends are for."

**THE END**


End file.
